1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and more particularly to a semiconductor integrated circuit device having a voltage converter circuit or a load drive circuit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is performed frequently in recent years that an internal voltage lower than an external power supply voltage is generated in a semiconductor integrated circuit device, and a partial circuit in the semiconductor integrated circuit device is operated with the internal voltage as a power supply. This is performed for the purpose of reducing power consumption of the integrated circuit and also of coping with lowering of breakdown voltage with the scaling-down of elements.
A circuit for generating an internal power supply voltage from an external power supply voltage as described above is a voltage limiter circuit (a voltage converter circuit or a step-down circuit).
FIG. 21 shows an example of a conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device having a voltage limiter circuit. A reference numeral 1 represents a semiconductor chip, 2 represents a terminal for an external power supply voltage (VCC), 3 represents a terminal for a ground voltage (VSS), 90 represents a voltage limiter circuit for generating an internal power supply voltage (VL), 91 represents a circuit operating on the internal power supply voltage (VL), and 92 represents a circuit operating on the external power supply voltage (VCC).
FIG. 23 shows another example of a conventional semiconductor integrated circuit device having voltage limiter circuits. This is disclosed in JP-A-2-246516, and is characterized by having two sets of voltage limiter circuits. Namely, voltage limiter circuits 93 and 94 generate internal power supply voltages VHH and VLL, respectively. 95 represents a circuit operating on VHH and VLL as the power supply thereof, and 96 represents a circuit operating on VCC and VSS as the power supply.
On the other hand, a CMOS inverter circuit shown in FIG. 40 has been heretofore used for driving a load in a semiconductor integrated circuit device.